New Zealand First says it will not welcome immigrants if they come from societies with a "class system" or where women are treated as subservient to men.The obvious joke is then how did Peter Brown, who like me is an immigrant from England, get it?
But the more important question is that if you lived somewhere without a class system where women have free and equal lives, then why would you move to new Zealand?
8 comments:
I get cross when people use women's rights as a rubbish excuse to do rubbish things, eg invade Afghanistan.
Silly Maia, 'immigrant' means 'brown person or non-english speaker'.
In the UK I was constantly having to listen to people bang on about immigrants ruining the country, and when I politely informed them I was an immigrant too, was always vaguely told 'oh, well, that's different'.
Funny you should say that Hugh - I saw a thing on TV recently about British people moving to Spain, complaining that there were too many immigrants in the UK!
Yes, hands up anyone whose had a conversation with an immigrant who complains about too many immigrants coming into NZ? *raises hand* I have tended to notice that it is predominantly those of European heritage who seem concerned about this.
Frankly I like the increasingly multi-cultural nature of our society. I really notice now when I go to other parts of NZ and it's whities as far as the eye can see. If nothing else it makes for a more interesting food culture ;-)
The ex-expat also had some thoughts on this at her own blog:
http://exexpat1.blogspot.com/2008/09/im-so-fucking-special.html
Sorry that link didn't work properly:
The ex-expat on NZFirst's racism
Yes, sadly immigrant-bashing is not limited to New Zealand.
IIRC British people make up the largest single national component, with Australians and Americans not too far behind. And yet it's rare to hear people complain about losing their jobs to these kinds of immigrants.
The only person I know of who's complained about immigration as part the whitening of New Zealand is the redoubtable Tariana Turia.
I was at the debate where Peter Brown made those comments. Interesting that media comments have focussed on the comments he made (usual rubbish, best ignored) while paying less attention to the topics which were much more vigorously discussed, such as the repeated failure of the immigration service and the new immigration bill.
But the more important question is that if you lived somewhere without a class system where women have free and equal lives, then why would you move to new Zealand?
Excellent point.
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